


Siren's Call

by kainess



Category: Disney - All Media Types, EXO, EXO (Band)
Genre: Disney, EXO - Freeform, EXOK - Freeform, EXOM - Freeform, M/M, Mermaids, Mermen, SirenAU, Sirens, XiuChen - Freeform, kpop, mermaid, merman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 09:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14017746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kainess/pseuds/kainess
Summary: "You know how sometimes you meet someone, and everything changes? Just like that."The ocean calls out for people with broken hearts and Minseok responds.





	Siren's Call

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: hiya! i'm putting this chapter as TW because there are mentions of suicidal thoughts & a suicide attempt(?). yes, this is how the story is starting out ;;u;;''

Wake up. Repeat. Shower. Repeat. Eat. Repeat. Go to work. Repeat. Come home. Repeat. Go to bed. Repeat. 

Everything in Minseok's life was the same; same routine, same excuses, same lonely life. His life shouldn't even be lonely, the man was engaged up until four months ago. When he thinks back to it, everything was completely different back then. He was happy, surrounded by various friends and his fiance, living life to the fullest, had a great job, and just overall pleased with where he was at in life. As Murphy's Law would have it though, anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and good god was that true.

Four months ago was when everything started to go downhill. He was ultimately let go from his job, his friends stopped seeing him as time went on, and the biggest nail in the coffin was when he caught his fiance, Luhan, sleeping with his supposed to be best friend, Sehun. So Minseok found it safe to say that his life was pretty shit at the moment. Now he was stuck with a nine-to-five job, zero friends, and no lover. Fantastic. Not to mention that his ex-fiance managed to keep their nice studio apartment, and Minseok was now stuck in a shabby apartment that he shared with a few rats. He felt like he was barely managing to stay on dry land and out of deep water with the amount of bills that were piling up on his plate, especially when his job barely even covered the bills. Most nights he went without dinner, which sucked but at least he still had a place to stay, right? Why did everything bad happen to him?

He sighs quietly as he tosses his thin and cold sheets off, sitting up on his mattress that was placed on the floor next to the window. Never in a million years did he think that he'd be sleeping on a stiff mattress on a tiled floor in the same room as his kitchen. He's twenty-seven and thought that he'd have his life figured out by now, but life likes to throw curve balls like that. His mother always used to warn him as a small child that it was dangerous to get too comfortable with the deck of cards life gave you. He always thought that was ridiculous, but as fate would have it she was spot on. Minseok got too comfortable and as a result lost everything he had. He stares at the empty beer bottles that litter the kitchen counter and table, his head throbbing as he buries his face in his hands. Did he drink himself to sleep again last night?

He forces himself to get up, his bare feet padding along the cold tiles as he walks through the kitchen, not bothering to clean up his mess, and makes his way to the bathroom instead. The space was small (of course, considering his bedroom was part of the kitchen) and he kept his clothes hanging up on the shower rail, where the shower curtain was supposed to originally go. It was a tedious process to hang them all up and then take them down before he could take a shower, but we needn't get into that. He grabs a plain white shirt and a pair of black dress pants. He wiggles into his pants as he walks back out into the hall, his shirt hanging over his arm as he struggles to get the pants buttoned and zipped up. Was he gaining weight? He didn't remember his pants ever being this tight or hard to put on. Maybe he should lay back on the drinking. A beer gut was the last thing he needed on top of all his other problems right now. He glances at the clocking hanging in the kitchen, the batteries having died long ago. He wasn't sure why he kept glancing up at it and why he hasn't changed them yet, but he couldn't be bothered to worry about it. He looks to the oven clock, the clock that actually worked. He had fifteen minutes before he needed to be at work. 

He grabs a cereal bar from kitchen countertop, buttoning up his shirt before grabbing his keys that were placed next to the cereal bar. He swings open the door, hurrying down the aged and rusty stairwell as his fingers fumble with tearing open the wrapper. He takes a bite out of the food, his nose scrunching in distaste when realizing the piece of food had gone stale. "God-fucking-dammit." He hisses to himself, swearing loudly when he nearly trips over the last step. He quickly smooths out the wrinkles in his shirt, taking a second to recollect himself and to make sure that no one had seen him before walking over to his car. His car. Ah, his car. It was the only good thing he had left in his life. Despite living a shit life in a shit apartment in a shit neighborhood, he managed to keep his 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. However, be it as nice as it looked, he may or may not have bought it from someone shady at an extremely shady price, and the engine may or may not fail to start eight out of ten times Minseok starts up the vehicle. Still though, it was his one and only nice object and he was determined to keep and use it until it finally dies out on him completely. 

He feels like screaming, however, when he finally sits in his car and it fails to start up. He couldn't afford to be late another day at his job; his boss threatened him last week that he'd be out of a job if he showed up late one more time. Of course it was because of his car. Minseok, despite his personal life being in complete shambles, was a good employee and his car failing on him was the only time he'd actually show up late for work. He cared about first impressions and he cared about what his coworkers and managers thought of him. "Please, don't do this to me today!" He yells out when the engine offers him no response, Minseok slamming his head down on the steering wheel. Is the universe completely against him at all times? "I can't afford to lose my job! Just fucking start up!" He shouts, throwing a wimpy excuse of a punch to the car's dashboard. He leans back in his seat, his eyes staring above him as he examines the ceiling of his car. Why did everything have to go downhill so fast? He closes his eyes and lets out a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thinks over his options. 

What was so special about his life? He couldn't see things getting any better for him; let alone managing to turn his life around in the current state that it's in. What had he done so wrong to deserve this? He thought he was a decent guy. He never bullied or belittled anyone growing up, and he certainly never grew up to be an asshole. Why was this happening to him? He's been trying to make sense of everything; to not let everything get to him. That was easier said than done of course. He's always been told to handle misfortune with grace, but he seems to be grasping for straws every day now. All he ever did was treat his friends and fiance with love and respect, and this is what he gets in return? Boy, was his judgment god awful. It's when his car finally starts up, Minseok glancing at the clock as he backs out of the parking lot. He has three minutes to get to work, and work is almost twenty minutes from his apartment. Maybe he really would be just better off dead.

✵✵✵

Work isn't as eventful as he thought it would be. Then again, it's not like his job was ever eventful. His manager only scowled at him when he arrived twenty minutes late, though he didn't say anything. Perhaps he just wasn't in the mood to fire anyone so early in the morning. Minseok was fine with that; he'd take what he could get. Minseok stands in the middle of the "thriller and suspense" isle at the library. Kris Wu, his boss, sent him to go reorganize all the books in the section. He certainly had it out for him; Kris only sent people to reorganize books if he wasn't happy with them, which made sense considering how boring the job was. And of course none of the books were in alphabetical order, which only made his job more of a hell. Minseok always thought that he'd love working at a library. It's a government job, after all, which guarantees great pay and holidays off, plus Minseok loves quiet atmospheres. That was the biggest joke he's ever been told. It was a nightmare. Sure, he enjoyed getting holidays off, but that wasn't enough to make up for the shit pay and the coworkers with sticks up their asses that he'd have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. His manager being the one with the biggest stick up his ass.

Every single day Minseok showed up for his shift, he honestly considered his options for just jumping off a bridge. He was pretty sure this would be the peak of his life, which was depressing enough within itself. He swears under his breath as he pulls books from the shelves, creating a pile on the floor to go through for later. In all honesty, if this was the best he had to look forward to, why shouldn't he just jump off a bridge? It only made sense. It's not like he'd be leaving anyone behind. Just shitty coworkers and a jilted ex-lover. He glances up at the clock, momentarily rolling his eyes to the back of his head when realizing he still had another several hours of his shift left. Maybe the day would go by quickly. It's the most he could hope for. 

He feels his head spinning by the time he finishes putting all the books away, never wanting to see another thriller novel in his life. He had no idea why there were so many of them made. He's still sitting in the middle of the row, nonchalantly playing with a loose strand of string on the sleeve of his shirt. He'd thank the day when he can finally quit this job. He inwardly groans when a pair of black dress shoes show up in his vision, hesitating slightly before eventually looking up. Of course it was Kris, because who else would it be? 

"Why are you sitting on the job? There's shit for you to do. I don't pay you to sit on your ass." _You don't pay me in the first place._  Minseok decides to keep his tongue in cheek though, pushing himself off the ground. "I just finished all the books. Like you asked." He states calmly, trying to keep any trace of annoyance out of his voice. It wouldn't do him any favors to get fired now. 

"Right." Kris states flatly. "There's plenty for you to do here. Go find something. Don't just sit on your ass though." He snaps before storming off, Minseok hearing him grumble something along the lines of, "so fucking lazy; this is why your partner left you" under his breath. Despite the unpleasant turn of events in his life, there weren't many people that Minseok hated. Kris though? He was one of the few. 

✵✵✵

Minseok's driving with only one place in mind: Mapo Bridge. He was unsure in the morning if he was going to do it today, but after the same shit over and over, he decided that today would be the day. Nothing was ever changing and he was tired of it. He was nervous, sure. But after months and months of preparation, he thought that he could handle the outcome. He's wordlessly driving his car, which funnily enough was not having any difficulties since leaving the library. Everything passes by the car in a blur, Minseok staring straight ahead with his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles are beginning to turn white. He had a million thoughts running through his mind; all of which trying to decide if this was really the best idea. Realistically, it wasn't; it's never the answer. To Minseok though, this was the best solution he could come up with. 

Thoughts of Luhan and Sehun crossed his mind; none of them necessarily bad or negative. Just memories here and there with the two, people who considered friends and who he thought cared for him. A sigh escapes him as he pulls into a nearly abandoned parking lot, checking the time on his phone before exiting the vehicle. Should he lock his car? He was pretty sure it wouldn't matter, considering he wouldn't be coming back to it. Maybe because it's the only decent thing he has in his life right now, he locks the car anyway and walks down the sidewalk in the direction of the bridge. Should he message someone and warn them about what he's about to do? "No." He snorts to himself and shakes his head as he walks. There would be no point. He doesn't have anyone in his life. His parents have both passed years ago, no friends, no nothing. Who would he even text? Kris? That's laughable. 

He strolls up the sidewalk that leads him up to the bridge, watching silently as cars whiz by him. He feels a cold breeze, gripping at the thin material of his shirt. Why didn't he bring his jacket? Winter was approaching and the waters would no doubt be freezing. Did he really want to jump into water so cold? It's almost November, maybe he's lucky and the water isn't too cold yet. Or maybe it was. He'll either drown or die of hypothermia or maybe both. Could he die from both? He didn't see why not. He laughs bitterly to himself as his eyes scan over the letters and saying on the railings of the bridge. "Let's walk together? Yeah. Right." He had no one to walk with. No one to speak to. If anything, these sayings and statues were only insulting to Minseok; reminding him of how alone he truly is. "Is this supposed to make me change my mind?" He approaches the rail, hesitating in case anyone might try to stop him. No one does, though. They only drive by, completely oblivious to the man about to leap over the edge. 

His hands are shaking as he grips onto the cold metal, closing his eyes as he tries to steady his breathing. Carefully and slowly he hoists himself up onto the rail, maneuvering himself onto the other side. It's then that the cold winds really hit him, reminding him just how close he is to losing his life. He can feel the chilly air hitting his face, his cheeks and the tip of his nose reddening in result. He glances down, his stomach churning when seeing just how high up he truly is. And the waves...they were especially active today. Not as calm as they usually were. Was it going to storm? His legs feel like jelly and his heart is hammering in his chest, threatening to jump up his throat and out of his mouth at any given moment. Was this a bad idea? He lingers in his spot, his body swaying slightly in the harsh winds. He squeezes his eyes shut, mentally yelling at himself to calm down. It wouldn't be too bad. It would be over before he even knew it. 

_Don't do it._

He glances over his shoulder anxiously, his hair blowing in the wind. The sun was almost set and it was starting to grow dark. No one would notice him right away; not until early morning anyway. The roads were deserted; how was that possible? Shouldn't there be a rush hour or something about now? Perhaps it was a sign. Maybe he should go back home. Hell, he could adopt a rescue cat after this. He can make his life into something; starting by quitting that shitty ass job he has. He doesn't need to do this; he can make new friends. "Fuck fuck fuck." He swears loudly. What the actual hell was he thinking? 

_**DON'T DO IT!** _

Minseok's never had an urge so strong before, but now he had every muscle and every cell in his body screaming at him to turn around and go back home. To make himself a warm cup of hot chocolate and to sit back and watch an old movie.

But, as fate would have it, his shoe gets caught on the railing as he goes to hoist himself back up, losing his balance in the process.

It all goes by slowly after that. Falling back and watching his hands let go of the rail, the wind slamming into him as he feels himself fall from the bridge, no longer having solid concrete beneath his feet. He's not sure what's happening, everything is happening so fast yet at the same time, he feels as if he's falling so slowly. His phone flew out of his hand during the slip up, and his shoe slipped off as well. He can see his shoe falling beside him, the whole thing feeling so surreal. How long did people normally fall for? Ten seconds? Thirty seconds? A minute? Hell, he was never good at math. Tears are flying off his face, and he's not sure if he's crying or if it's from the speed in which he's falling. He regrets everything so much. He really does. 

It's amazing the kind of things people take for granted. Having the land beneath your feet being one example. Breathing in air, being able to run around freely, sitting around with a group of friends and laughing about nothing in particular, watching a butterfly flutter by in the breeze. Or even the cheap ramen that he has stored away in his cheap apartment, another thing that he took for granted. How could he let himself get to this point? How could he let this happen? Why didn't he try to change things? Why did he have to drive up to this cursed fucking bridge? If only life allowed a redo button, Minseok would be redoing absolutely everything over. He wouldn't let things get this bad. 

And just like that, his body collides with the water; unforgiving and brutal, really- and his body is screaming out in pain, a pain that he's never felt before. He's tired too- he's not sure how considering he would deem it impossible to be exhausted yet in so much agony at the same time. Can he swim back to the surface? He can't feel his legs- did he break them? Or was it simply that the water was just so cold that he couldn't feel his body parts? That was another possibility. And he wants to scream out for help, he really does, but at the same time he's surrounded by pitch black water that seems to be incredibly dense as well as freezing. Should he scream he'll swallow in water and drown within minutes. How long did it take for someone to drown? His arms are flailing around crazily, as if it'll help him resurface any faster, desperate to grab a hold of something, _anything_. He can't see anything and it's starting to make him panic. Were there any fish in here that could kill him? He didn't think Seoul had those kind of fish, but he couldn't be too sure. He never bothered to learn about it. 

_Won't you come with me?_

It's as if the water around him is starting to press into him, feeling so small and suffocated in the area that he's in. His eyes are starting to lose focus and they're becoming heavier as well, just like the rest of him. Was he really destined to sink to the bottom of the Han River like a rock?

_Where the moon is made of gold._

He can hear a faint whisper in the background and Minseok thinks he's actually on the verge of going unconscious, because why else would he hear whispering under water.

_And in the morning sun we'll be sailing._

He's straining himself to hear the voice as it becomes steadily louder, something that had Minseok torn between being calm and losing the last bit of his mind that he had left. The voice was rich yet soft at the same time and he honestly found it lovely. Maybe it was something that his mind was coming up with to try and calm him down given the current circumstances. That would make sense; Minseok's pretty sure he read about the brain trying to calm down the body in dire situations. This would apply to that, right? He's pretty sure this would qualify as a dire situation. 

_Oh, won't you come with me?_

_Where the ocean meets the sky,_

_and as the clouds roll by,_

He can see something in the distance, something that's surrounded with a soft golden hue. His eyes are playing tricks on him now, probably because of how dark it is. He's pretty sure that starts to happen once surrounded by dark for long enough. Still though, he can feel his body growing weaker as he feels himself sinking further and further into the rapid river. 

_We'll sing the song of the sea._

Something's coming straight for him now, and the voice is becoming louder and stronger. He wants to be terrified, but he can only find himself relaxing the sound of the odd tune. It's not something he's heard before, and while it should be freaking him out to no end, he can't help but feel calm. Maybe this is just his way of coming to terms with becoming fish food. 

_Don't cry, I'll see you by and by._

And just as the figure reaches him, feeling strong arms pulling him into something warm and secure, Minseok finally feels himself succumbing to the harsh demands of the river. 

\---

_This story is my second entry for the[✵ RÊVEUR Writing Contest!](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1301408/r--veur-writing-contest-open-angst-boyxboy-contest-fantasy-supernatural--yoonmin-yuri-chansoo-writingcontest-exo-jinseok-girlxgirl-hunhan-sekai-baekyeol-kaisoo-chanbaek-fairytales-bts-yoonseok-jinkook-jikook-taekook-vhope-yoonkook-vmin-taegi-jihope-namjin-vkook-2seok-redvelvet-wenrene-seulrene-wenseul-vmon-joyri) I'm having too much fun with these Disney prompts TT v TT  also mermaid/merman plots are my weakness. Throw in a siren and we'll have a party lmao_

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